Hey Michelle! I'm a professional tallow soap maker. It looks like it is crumbling because the batch was too lye heavy. It'd be best to pitch that one, as there is excess lye left over after saponification. Don't be discouraged - there is a lot of trial and error with soap!!! One way to prevent this from happening again is to use an accurate scale while making soap. It is very risky to measure out soap ingredients using a measuring cup instead of precise measurements. Keep at it! Tallow soap and skincare is the best stuff out there!
@BriannaHrab agree. I'm a soapmaker too. There's a soap calculator online that'll help balance out oils and fats and guarantee all the lye will be used up. You want to make sure you ate using more than needed in fats
To be absolutely certain, touch the bar to the tip of your tongue. If it's truly lye-heavy, you'll know. Tossing is the best thing, but if you must try to save it, try melting it down and adding more fats (with the assistance of a soap calculator!) And superfat your soaps in the future.
Our 16 year old clean our house biweekly, she does a better job than the cleaning services we hired before. We pay her for this of course. This and cleaning windows is the only things she get paid to do at home. We expect our kids to clean their own room once a week and plan and cook a lunch or a dinner for the entire family. Thanks for sharing both the good and the ”bad”! Looking forward to the beef cattle in the future. I also love the ducks waddle 🦆
We've loved following along. The wins, the losses, and everything in-between, its all a big part of it and only makes you stronger. Thank goodness you guys never gave up on this lifestyle. Your kids will thank you for it one day when they realize how much it has given them.
I'm telling ya! Plant comfrey and rhubarb below your fruit trees. Especially apple trees 🌳 Little Mountain Ranch does it & has too many apples!! Please Michelle & Cody!!!❤❤❤
Michelle, I'm pretty new to homesteading but have been homeschooling a large family for over 25 years now. You were homesteading through some of the most difficult days in motherhood - those days when all of your children are young. Those are sweet and precious times but they are difficult. You basically live in survival mode for years, so the fact that you didn't enjoy experimenting at the time and that growth suddenly seems much less overwhelming makes perfect sense to me. Do I wish I could have started homesteading sooner? Sure. But looking back I don't see how I could have squeezed it in. lol! All that is said to encourage you. You have chosen good things and are starting to reap the fruit of the some of the best things you have invested in. Once again, thank you for this channel. What a huge blessing y'all are to our family.
Put window screens over your cold frame. It partially blocks light, wind etc, and keeps animals out. Mount metal screen on frames so it's easy to lift and provides stability if walked on by small animals
Instead of looking at it as “fails” consider it learning experiences! It may not have been successful, but you learned something in the process. Nothing is ever a fail!! Love the transparency of you two. Keep doing what you’re doing!!
Maybe that big chicken peeking from behind the coop scared the hawk away. 😂 Enjoy the look back at the year. I love Dexter cows. A Few Acres Farm channel has those. You're doing the right thing teaching your kids to live. Sometimes it takes some deep breaths 😊 but they'll be so independent later in life in good ways.
You guys have done a wonderful job living life and raising children which is one of the hardest jobs ever. I was so sorry to see you sell your cow. My wife and I Ioved your cow. We're happy to know you might be getting some beef cows. My wife has been wanting to start a farm but we are almost 70 and not in good health. So watching you farm is wonderful for us to watch. Keep up the great work. We pray for you always!
A little trick about the cat digging problem in the garden - After new year (more likely in February, as kids always want it to stay a bit more) I cut the branches of the Christmas tree and then use them as protection on the beds, along with some spruce branches from the trees I have near my house. This seems to do the trick and our cats don't dig there. My biggest win this year were the raised beds. After several years of struggling to amend the heavy clay soil we have, I finally gave up and made raised beds. It was a huge success - first year of successful carrot crop, onion crop and first decent potatoes (although the ones in containers were still better as they were exposed to more sun). Also I installed automatic drip irrigation and rain collection reservoir, which resulted in more abundant and prolonged strawberry and raspberry harvest. My biggest fail was the garlic. Worms attacked it in early April and I lost almost all of it. Also I tried growing sweet potatoes and it was a failure - I got one potato per plant and they weren't even big. Next year I plan to fix the mistakes, try again sweet potatoes, and increase production of everything except zucchini - this year they were just enough. Also I plan to add my first flock of chicken.
With the fruit trees, put cardboard all around the base and compost and mulch it. It eliminates competing grass roots and feeds the tree over time. Just re-mulch/fertilize with compost 1-2 times per year so that it is constantly being fed as the mulch and compost breaks down. Just don’t let the mulch cover too much of the base of the trunk because it can cause rot and disease.
My first planting was just beautiful in spring I was so excited then a herd of deer came in and in 1 night decimated my garden and actually stood there looking at me as I was screaming clapping my hand for them to get out , the looks on their faces was like why you being so loud? I was heart broken but replanted and that all withered I was just broken and hubby rebought starts for me and it took off I am still getting tomatos, bell peppers, okra and my broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage is doing great we all who garden have fails why you waste nothing and can and dehydrate what you can’t eat fresh as you still have what you need thru winter and possible failure into next spring. Thank you for showing people to learn from mistakes and keep on
Soooo many changes, but overall things seem to be going very well for you guys. It’s nice to see the happiness from Michelle over this year. Always make sure momma is happy because she’s the heart of the home 😊
I think you did great this year. I'm changing up some things for the garden next year. I'm not growing 72 tomato plants. Growing pumpkins again, but putting them away from the main garden. Growing more cabbage, onions, carrots and herbs. Growing calendula and chamomile. Put in 2 red lake currants and a blackberry bush. Just trying to grow more basics. How do you store your leaves that you use for mulch? Have a wonderful day.❤
I don’t even know y’all but I feel so proud for you! I homeschooled 4 kids for 23 years. We lived in the country, gardened, raised chickens and had a home business part of that time! It is a ton of responsibility and work, all worth it, though. Finding the right balance for your family is the key to peace, joy and success. Well done this year, especially!
I wish i could add the screenshot I just took from your video. Cracked me up and had to keep rewinding to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing! Too funny! 😂 It's at about 13:44.
Omg, Dexters are so wonderful!! We actually just sold our family milk cow as well (sad) and she was a dexter. They really are wonderful!! We have processed one Dexter steer so far (delicious) and have another one growing out for a spring butcher date. They are such a friendly breed. I really look forward to watching that journey for you!!! Also, their milk is so great!!!
Another week blocker/garden pathway material is roofing shingles. There have worked incredibly well for me the past 3 growing seasons as I expand my garden every year. They also hold down the edges of weed blocking material in the planting rows themselves. Can usually find on fb marketplace cheap in quantity. The ones I currently use are going on their 4th season this upcoming year and have been well worth it.
Learning is growing---pick one new crop, one new book, one more of everything, IT IS IMPORTANT, to you mind, body and soul. Even if you fail at something, you have still learned something new. At 71, I challenge myself to do something new at least once a week. God bless y'all and keep growing.
Yay Michelle!! Congrats on the soap!! Thank you all for sharing your lives with us. It gives me angst and peace...sorta simultaneously...lol Loved the video. Thank you
Thank you for sharing your journey with us all this year and your wins and fails. I assess my garden the same way each year. I live in Florida zone 11a in a mobile home community, so I don't have acres of land, but somehow, I manage to have 15 raised beds. My wins for 2024 were that I installed a new compost bin, one of the spinning kinds, and that has been a huge help and success for my garden. I installed a rain barrel, which was a success this rainy summer. I also installed a grow station in my house where I now have a space to start my seeds indoors starting in August. I rotate my crops each year, and most of my gardening is from the fall through early spring. I learned to grow more broccoli and bok Choi this fall. I'm also learning better trellising methods for my tomatoes, I learned which plants I want to grow more of and which plants I want less of. I am also experimenting with my shady spots and what grows best in those areas. I love, love, love my garden, and I love all the experiments that come along with gardening. I love the fall and winter gardening months here in Florida. This year, I allowed myself to let my garden go for the summer, and I just maintained it 1 hour before sunset a few days per week. My new crops I'm growing this fall and winter are Brussel sprouts and beets. My mistakes I made were growing sweet potatoes in a raised bed, and cutting open my watermellon to soon. I hope you enjoy the winter months to rest and to enjoy all of the nutritional foods you have grown and the fruits of your labor. Happy Thanksgiving from Donna in Sarasota FL.
This is a wonderful attitude you both have. I like the idea of assessing what you've done and how you move forward with each thing you do. Love watching your family grow and thrive. Here's to a successful 2025.
Think about planting comfrey around your fruit trees, they grow deep tap roots that bring up nutrients into the leaves, help suppress weeds and you can stamp them down around the base of the trees to rot down and feed them over winter- might give them the boost they need 😊 ( also bees love the flowers!)
Spent the last few weeks going through most of your videos, and I'm so inspired now! Hoping to be able to get some land and start something myself in the next couple years. One question though, can we see some soup recipes this winter please? I'd love to see these famous Zuppa Toscana and Butternut Squash soups!
You do such a wonderfu job w the editing (the only thing I know) but the angles,variety,music etc...are amazing. That you vid each other is great. Love your work and hope u grow on here in a rapid pace. Best,Best to you.
We get a steer butchered every year and we made a standing appt for 5 years. They just call us and give us a date a few months before but it’s always writhing a couple week time frame.
Love your channel! Re: tomatoes. we bought 6 ft tall concrete reinforcing wire and made circles (cylinders) attached to themselves. they last forever (30 yrs) and the lowest section is legs when you cut off the bottom wire. If the bottom legs rust just cut them off .. eventually you can use them for shorter plants. very sturdy and versatile. Good luck
I love the little mess ups in filming u show in your videos. I always giggle at them. It just reminds us even more that u r just one of us that happens to film. Michelle I also really appreciate u being honest about the ups and downs of liking/not liking certain things throughout different times in life. You guys are very good at showing the hard work it takes while also showing it still can be done. I look at some channels and get slightly annoyed that they make it look sooo easy when I know it’s not. So ty for being so genuine
Very nice! Im sure we all had fails with the wild weather and sometimes life gets in the way. Im gonna spend this winter canning beans and other bulk things
What an inspiring episode. Your humility and honesty with what has not worked as well as reflecting on what has , has allowed me to reflect more positively at my own failures and successes in lots of different aspects of my life. You two are such great problem solvers as well as hard workers. I love the vast array of all that you do on your homestead and to hear your plans for what is next is very motivating. Thank you so much!
My husband built tomato cages with calf panels but made cage into a square shape by using a 2x4 to bend into shape. First some of the bottom needs to be cut off. We use a fence post into the soil to secure the cage into. Has worked great for several years now. We too experiment a bit every year. Always learn something new. My husband a set aside a spot for heugelculture. Not sure if spelling is correct.
Your videos are so peaceful and stress free and relaxing, they help melt away things from the busy days, if they help me, I know they must be helping others too. What a great team you two are! It is probably hard for you to fathom the reach you two have with videos, but I am telling you, they are very powerful. You are sharing love with anyone watching. Thank you!
Hi I'm from Australia and I would like to say I love your vlogs. You are so down to Earth, that a person my age can try some of your things and hope they work as good as yours.
You two are such an inspiration to watch. Michelle I love the way your soap turned out. You guys should be very proud in what you’ve accomplished for 2024. Love your home ❤
I saw that U were more peaceful + happy in kitchen. Passing on life skills to our children-so important, time-consuming + loving. Bravo! I say get the cows, U love them, + securing Ur own supply is worth it. Be blessed all.
Congrats on your wins and next year is always a new year to work on the fails! Dexter's are awesome cows. The farm I worked at for half my life had them. They had great temperaments and they tasted really good! How is your office coming along? Our mushrooms are growing from the kids giveaway organic kit. We're working on filming some of the progress to share on my channel when they are ready. My daughter had loved watching them grow everyday!; stay warm! Still no big frosts here in Southern Massachusetts. I'm still picking Amish paste tomatoes!
Thank you both very much for keepeing it real and showing the succeses and "failures" of the gardening, cooking and living. It all comes hand in hand, it is natural and an important part of learning and improving things. I've been watching you and other similar content but only you made me actualy do something about my approach to cooking and caring where does the food come from or how nutritious it is (I didn't like cooking and offen didn't bother to make something better than the necessary food because large part of todays media shows it like everything has! to be perfectly made and served and it is so overwhelming). Now I even look forward to spring and summer to start colecting herbs from nature to make my own tea, jam and so on and to have fun.
Learn to give yourself grace and know that it’s ok if you don’t feel like doing something even if it does need to get done.. being a mom and a wife is hard enough much less being a farmer 🧑🌾/ homesteader and having body changes.. 😱😱🤯🤯 it’s a lot…I’m 48 and full blown menopausal and I have a 22yr old and two going to be 8yr olds (boy and girl) and I have a whole lot more going through but u have to just take a breather close your eyes and find quite time for yourself… Anyways, sorry for the rambling just know that you are awesome & I’m proud of you both.. until next time
You two did an amazing job with your family and doing your garden and everything that you had done this year I don't feel that you failed in any way possible, Michelle I have a small business here on our Homestead where I make heavenly dreams goat milk beauty products, soap, lotion, shampoo bars, bath salts, bath bombs, it's such a blessing to raise and grow all the living needs someone has to have. Thank you for sharing. Till next time God Bless.
I love the random chicken. Also, I would recommend using a wire cutter on the soap. It prevents those streaks and you can get more consistent sizes. You can make one with a guitar string. Great way to simplify the 'gelling' stage circles. I would make sure your lye to oil ratio was correct on the calendula soap. Avocado oil will have to have different amounts than the tallow. I love watching you trying new things. Thank you for sharing the journey.
What a nice video! Those Butternut Squash are just beautiful! I am making soap for the first time this month too. Can't wait to try it both as soap and shampoo.😊
Way to go on trying the soap making! It’s always exciting and a bit scary to be in the unknown but it looks like you’re doing great! I would recommend gloves until your bars are completely cured. Lye is a bit dangerous to bare skin!
We all have things that go good and bad each year in the garden. Most are out of our control. I also do this every year to see what I need to work on or plant next year. I also love ducks. I always say that you can't look at a duck and not smile. 😊 The sneaky chicken mask was funny 😂
Hey Yall! Ive watched almost all of yalls videos except some of the cow ones so ima need yall to make some more asap! Lol j/k. I really enjoy learning from yall and enjoy being part of your journey! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us homesteading wannabes!
There is always something for me to learn. thanks for the new video. I'm happy with you about the good harvest and that you took us with you on this review. Have a nice week. Greetings from Bavaria were we have snow today
Hello dear. Love your channel. You might try cutting the soap a little earlier. I usually wait 24 hours. It’s still soft enough to cut. You just have to be really careful unmolding so you don’t dent your sides or corners.
I make most of my household things. The-Big-Book-of-Homemade-Products by Jan+Berry is my favorite go to book. I have many, but that is the only one I use.
🍎🍏kaolin clay powder is a natural for your fruit trees! Love your channel, aw you need to get a new milk COW for cheese and butter and you can sell the milk!
Martijn Doolaard just set up 'Discord' for his TH-cam subscribers (free for us) to share (photos) and communicate with him and each other, not sure what that involves from your end but worth considering. His channel is an Italian Alps reno, building, solar, chickens, day trips).
I had the same problem cutting my soap when I first started. I sharpened my blade just a little bit and it worked. It smoothed the blade. Might want to try it.
Soap tip for you! if you slice it when it is still slightly pliable, you will get smooth cuts 👍 And then line the slices up to dry out fully from there and cure. It should work better for you that way! Hope this helps!
Dexters are great for milk and many are A2A2 which is better for many people with milk problems... they were once used for plowing and pulling as well. Triple purpose... We love our girls
Guys you are absolutely amazing! I admire you, your hard work and your passion! I adore watching you! ❤Thank you so much for sharing your life and experience with us. I live in a big city, so it is such a pleasure to enjoy country life at least this way 😂 Warm greetings from Poland ❤
I have a 17 y/o daughter who enjoys seeing ducks waddling around. Though free range ducks can be really chewy when it is time to eat from my experience. Waiting for you guys to share your experience
I really enjoy your videos, I learn so much. Garlic: I live in the south and this year it took almost 2 months for my garlic to germinate, ( at first I thought it was a fail)but they are growing well.
What works for me is comfrey under the apple trees. Also take a water bottle, drill a hole in the bottle. Put a drop of dish soap, water and borax in the bottle and set it under the apple trees. The hole should be facing up for pests to go in the bottle. The comfrey deters the pests and brings water up to the roots of the apple trees and the water bottle solution is an attractant to keep the critters away from the tree.
Hey Michelle! I'm a professional tallow soap maker. It looks like it is crumbling because the batch was too lye heavy. It'd be best to pitch that one, as there is excess lye left over after saponification. Don't be discouraged - there is a lot of trial and error with soap!!! One way to prevent this from happening again is to use an accurate scale while making soap. It is very risky to measure out soap ingredients using a measuring cup instead of precise measurements. Keep at it! Tallow soap and skincare is the best stuff out there!
@BriannaHrab agree. I'm a soapmaker too. There's a soap calculator online that'll help balance out oils and fats and guarantee all the lye will be used up. You want to make sure you ate using more than needed in fats
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Thank you for sharing. I want to learn to make@@jeanland1993
To be absolutely certain, touch the bar to the tip of your tongue. If it's truly lye-heavy, you'll know.
Tossing is the best thing, but if you must try to save it, try melting it down and adding more fats (with the assistance of a soap calculator!) And superfat your soaps in the future.
Our 16 year old clean our house biweekly, she does a better job than the cleaning services we hired before. We pay her for this of course. This and cleaning windows is the only things she get paid to do at home. We expect our kids to clean their own room once a week and plan and cook a lunch or a dinner for the entire family.
Thanks for sharing both the good and the ”bad”! Looking forward to the beef cattle in the future. I also love the ducks waddle 🦆
We've loved following along. The wins, the losses, and everything in-between, its all a big part of it and only makes you stronger. Thank goodness you guys never gave up on this lifestyle. Your kids will thank you for it one day when they realize how much it has given them.
I'm telling ya! Plant comfrey and rhubarb below your fruit trees. Especially apple trees 🌳 Little Mountain Ranch does it & has too many apples!! Please Michelle & Cody!!!❤❤❤
Michelle, I'm pretty new to homesteading but have been homeschooling a large family for over 25 years now. You were homesteading through some of the most difficult days in motherhood - those days when all of your children are young. Those are sweet and precious times but they are difficult. You basically live in survival mode for years, so the fact that you didn't enjoy experimenting at the time and that growth suddenly seems much less overwhelming makes perfect sense to me. Do I wish I could have started homesteading sooner? Sure. But looking back I don't see how I could have squeezed it in. lol! All that is said to encourage you. You have chosen good things and are starting to reap the fruit of the some of the best things you have invested in. Once again, thank you for this channel. What a huge blessing y'all are to our family.
was there a special chicken in this video? LOLOL gave me a good laugh this morning.
Hahaha! I saw it too and had to go back to see it again😂
@@IAmGrufi i watched it 4x just for the giggles!
You guys have been doing amazing. There are no failures, only lessons learnt for future successes. Aim for progression, not perfection. God bless
The word FAIL triggers the algorithm
@@myurbangarden7695Subscribed!
It's ok to fail, we all do that sometimes. You are doing great, and alot of people enjoy your journey, thank you for showing the good and the bad.
Your chicken mask peeking out was hilarious @13:43 Did you think we wouldn't notice? lol
Came here to say that! I had to rewind and double check what my eyes were seeing lol 😂
@@kaitlync15I did too! 😂
@@kaitlync15 Me too!
Put window screens over your cold frame. It partially blocks light, wind etc, and keeps animals out.
Mount metal screen on frames so it's easy to lift and provides stability if walked on by small animals
Instead of looking at it as “fails” consider it learning experiences! It may not have been successful, but you learned something in the process. Nothing is ever a fail!! Love the transparency of you two. Keep doing what you’re doing!!
Maybe that big chicken peeking from behind the coop scared the hawk away. 😂
Enjoy the look back at the year.
I love Dexter cows. A Few Acres Farm channel has those. You're doing the right thing teaching your kids to live. Sometimes it takes some deep breaths 😊 but they'll be so independent later in life in good ways.
You guys have done a wonderful job living life and raising children which is one of the hardest jobs ever. I was so sorry to see you sell your cow. My wife and I Ioved your cow. We're happy to know you might be getting some beef cows. My wife has been wanting to start a farm but we are almost 70 and not in good health. So watching you farm is wonderful for us to watch. Keep up the great work. We pray for you always!
I call it “taking stock” every year. That way I know what I need to work on and I always learn something. Loved your video😊
A great part of gardening is the constant learning. Ive been gardening for 60 years, evey year you kearn something new. I love Thrive Market!
A little trick about the cat digging problem in the garden - After new year (more likely in February, as kids always want it to stay a bit more) I cut the branches of the Christmas tree and then use them as protection on the beds, along with some spruce branches from the trees I have near my house. This seems to do the trick and our cats don't dig there.
My biggest win this year were the raised beds. After several years of struggling to amend the heavy clay soil we have, I finally gave up and made raised beds. It was a huge success - first year of successful carrot crop, onion crop and first decent potatoes (although the ones in containers were still better as they were exposed to more sun). Also I installed automatic drip irrigation and rain collection reservoir, which resulted in more abundant and prolonged strawberry and raspberry harvest. My biggest fail was the garlic. Worms attacked it in early April and I lost almost all of it. Also I tried growing sweet potatoes and it was a failure - I got one potato per plant and they weren't even big.
Next year I plan to fix the mistakes, try again sweet potatoes, and increase production of everything except zucchini - this year they were just enough. Also I plan to add my first flock of chicken.
You guys are doing wonderful. I always say, a little is better than nothing. So it's all a win.
I'm so glad I found you guys! This is one of my dreams. Hopefully, it can come true someday.
With the fruit trees, put cardboard all around the base and compost and mulch it. It eliminates competing grass roots and feeds the tree over time. Just re-mulch/fertilize with compost 1-2 times per year so that it is constantly being fed as the mulch and compost breaks down. Just don’t let the mulch cover too much of the base of the trunk because it can cause rot and disease.
Nan King Cherry bushes are great fast-growing and heavy producing with sweet/sour fruit for your climate! Also, so glad you love your ducks ;)
Whoah how cool is this! Great to see you guys thriving, it’s been ages.
My first planting was just beautiful in spring I was so excited then a herd of deer came in and in 1 night decimated my garden and actually stood there looking at me as I was screaming clapping my hand for them to get out , the looks on their faces was like why you being so loud? I was heart broken but replanted and that all withered I was just broken and hubby rebought starts for me and it took off I am still getting tomatos, bell peppers, okra and my broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage is doing great we all who garden have fails why you waste nothing and can and dehydrate what you can’t eat fresh as you still have what you need thru winter and possible failure into next spring. Thank you for showing people to learn from mistakes and keep on
Not sure it's on your to do list, but we always mulch our fall planted garlic to protect it over winter.
I loved watching your gray kitty play around! And thank you for being such an inspiration!
Soooo many changes, but overall things seem to be going very well for you guys. It’s nice to see the happiness from Michelle over this year. Always make sure momma is happy because she’s the heart of the home 😊
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So cool you’re teaching the kids more !
I think you did great this year. I'm changing up some things for the garden next year. I'm not growing 72 tomato plants. Growing pumpkins again, but putting them away from the main garden. Growing more cabbage, onions, carrots and herbs. Growing calendula and chamomile. Put in 2 red lake currants and a blackberry bush. Just trying to grow more basics. How do you store your leaves that you use for mulch? Have a wonderful day.❤
I don’t even know y’all but I feel so proud for you! I homeschooled 4 kids for 23 years. We lived in the country, gardened, raised chickens and had a home business part of that time! It is a ton of responsibility and work, all worth it, though. Finding the right balance for your family is the key to peace, joy and success. Well done this year, especially!
Thank you! That’s great!😊 Totally agree!
Congrats on making soap! It's such a fun hobby, especially if you're sourcing most of your ingredients from home.
Love this! Have you already explained the “how to’s” of sprouting in a mason jar? I know I can look it up, but I’d love to hear you explain it🥰
I wish i could add the screenshot I just took from your video. Cracked me up and had to keep rewinding to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing! Too funny! 😂 It's at about 13:44.
Great video & congratulations on all the harvests! Blessings 🤗🇨🇦🌻
Thank you!😊
love watching all you do....pat yourselves on the back for a great year!!!!
Omg, Dexters are so wonderful!! We actually just sold our family milk cow as well (sad) and she was a dexter. They really are wonderful!! We have processed one Dexter steer so far (delicious) and have another one growing out for a spring butcher date. They are such a friendly breed. I really look forward to watching that journey for you!!! Also, their milk is so great!!!
Another week blocker/garden pathway material is roofing shingles. There have worked incredibly well for me the past 3 growing seasons as I expand my garden every year. They also hold down the edges of weed blocking material in the planting rows themselves.
Can usually find on fb marketplace cheap in quantity. The ones I currently use are going on their 4th season this upcoming year and have been well worth it.
Learning is growing---pick one new crop, one new book, one more of everything, IT IS IMPORTANT, to you mind, body and soul. Even if you fail at something, you have still learned something new. At 71, I challenge myself to do something new at least once a week. God bless y'all and keep growing.
Love that!😊
@@morethanfarmers Thank you
Yay Michelle!! Congrats on the soap!! Thank you all for sharing your lives with us. It gives me angst and peace...sorta simultaneously...lol
Loved the video. Thank you
Thank you for sharing your journey with us all this year and your wins and fails. I assess my garden the same way each year. I live in Florida zone 11a in a mobile home community, so I don't have acres of land, but somehow, I manage to have 15 raised beds. My wins for 2024 were that I installed a new compost bin, one of the spinning kinds, and that has been a huge help and success for my garden. I installed a rain barrel, which was a success this rainy summer. I also installed a grow station in my house where I now have a space to start my seeds indoors starting in August. I rotate my crops each year, and most of my gardening is from the fall through early spring. I learned to grow more broccoli and bok Choi this fall. I'm also learning better trellising methods for my tomatoes, I learned which plants I want to grow more of and which plants I want less of. I am also experimenting with my shady spots and what grows best in those areas. I love, love, love my garden, and I love all the experiments that come along with gardening. I love the fall and winter gardening months here in Florida. This year, I allowed myself to let my garden go for the summer, and I just maintained it 1 hour before sunset a few days per week. My new crops I'm growing this fall and winter are Brussel sprouts and beets. My mistakes I made were growing sweet potatoes in a raised bed, and cutting open my watermellon to soon. I hope you enjoy the winter months to rest and to enjoy all of the nutritional foods you have grown and the fruits of your labor. Happy Thanksgiving from Donna in Sarasota FL.
That’s amazing! Keep up the good work!😊
This is a wonderful attitude you both have. I like the idea of assessing what you've done and how you move forward with each thing you do. Love watching your family grow and thrive. Here's to a successful 2025.
Love the update, I’m still dreaming of my homestead !!❤
Hey! At 23:07, that's a mighty unique chicken! LOL
Think about planting comfrey around your fruit trees, they grow deep tap roots that bring up nutrients into the leaves, help suppress weeds and you can stamp them down around the base of the trees to rot down and feed them over winter- might give them the boost they need 😊 ( also bees love the flowers!)
Thanks for the tip!
Spent the last few weeks going through most of your videos, and I'm so inspired now! Hoping to be able to get some land and start something myself in the next couple years. One question though, can we see some soup recipes this winter please? I'd love to see these famous Zuppa Toscana and Butternut Squash soups!
You do such a wonderfu job w the editing (the only thing I know) but the angles,variety,music etc...are amazing. That you vid each other is great. Love your work and hope u grow on here in a rapid pace. Best,Best to you.
Thank you so much!
We get a steer butchered every year and we made a standing appt for 5 years. They just call us and give us a date a few months before but it’s always writhing a couple week time frame.
Love your channel! Re: tomatoes. we bought 6 ft tall concrete reinforcing wire and made circles (cylinders) attached to themselves. they last forever (30 yrs) and the lowest section is legs when you cut off the bottom wire. If the bottom legs rust just cut them off .. eventually you can use them for shorter plants. very sturdy and versatile. Good luck
I love the little mess ups in filming u show in your videos. I always giggle at them. It just reminds us even more that u r just one of us that happens to film. Michelle I also really appreciate u being honest about the ups and downs of liking/not liking certain things throughout different times in life. You guys are very good at showing the hard work it takes while also showing it still can be done. I look at some channels and get slightly annoyed that they make it look sooo easy when I know it’s not. So ty for being so genuine
Love love love it!. I'm 62, and you guys are so inspiring. You're doing things that I've always wanted to do. Keep keeping it real. God bless you ❤
Very nice! Im sure we all had fails with the wild weather and sometimes life gets in the way. Im gonna spend this winter canning beans and other bulk things
Subscribed!
What an inspiring episode. Your humility and honesty with what has not worked as well as reflecting on what has , has allowed me to reflect more positively at my own failures and successes in lots of different aspects of my life. You two are such great problem solvers as well as hard workers. I love the vast array of all that you do on your homestead and to hear your plans for what is next is very motivating. Thank you so much!
My husband built tomato cages with calf panels but made cage into a square shape by using a 2x4 to bend into shape. First some of the bottom needs to be cut off. We use a fence post into the soil to secure the cage into. Has worked great for several years now. We too experiment a bit every year. Always learn something new.
My husband a set aside a spot for heugelculture. Not sure if spelling is correct.
Your videos are so peaceful and stress free and relaxing, they help melt away things from the busy days, if they help me, I know they must be helping others too. What a great team you two are! It is probably hard for you to fathom the reach you two have with videos, but I am telling you, they are very powerful. You are sharing love with anyone watching. Thank you!
So glad to hear that! Thank you!😊
Hi I'm from Australia and I would like to say I love your vlogs. You are so down to Earth, that a person my age can try some of your things and hope they work as good as yours.
Yay top 75 and top 3 likes and comments. Love this channel. Thanks for making this video. Best to you and your family.
You two are such an inspiration to watch. Michelle I love the way your soap turned out. You guys should be very proud in what you’ve accomplished for 2024. Love your home ❤
Thank you so much!
I saw that U were more peaceful + happy in kitchen. Passing on life skills to our children-so important, time-consuming + loving. Bravo! I say get the cows, U love them, + securing Ur own supply is worth it. Be blessed all.
The cat in the tree is the best!!!!🐾😻
Congrats on your wins and next year is always a new year to work on the fails! Dexter's are awesome cows. The farm I worked at for half my life had them. They had great temperaments and they tasted really good!
How is your office coming along?
Our mushrooms are growing from the kids giveaway organic kit. We're working on filming some of the progress to share on my channel when they are ready. My daughter had loved watching them grow everyday!; stay warm! Still no big frosts here in Southern Massachusetts. I'm still picking Amish paste tomatoes!
Your garlic that is laying on top of your soil- is moles/mice I find that too and this time of year you can see the trails they put in to travel.
I'd call that a very successful year. Best wishes.
Thanks so much for the inspiration! 😊
You’re so welcome!😊
Thank you both very much for keepeing it real and showing the succeses and "failures" of the gardening, cooking and living. It all comes hand in hand, it is natural and an important part of learning and improving things.
I've been watching you and other similar content but only you made me actualy do something about my approach to cooking and caring where does the food come from or how nutritious it is (I didn't like cooking and offen didn't bother to make something better than the necessary food because large part of todays media shows it like everything has! to be perfectly made and served and it is so overwhelming). Now I even look forward to spring and summer to start colecting herbs from nature to make my own tea, jam and so on and to have fun.
I find you all VERY inspiring! God Bless you all!
Wow. Goodness. You guys are just wow.
Learn to give yourself grace and know that it’s ok if you don’t feel like doing something even if it does need to get done.. being a mom and a wife is hard enough much less being a farmer 🧑🌾/ homesteader and having body changes.. 😱😱🤯🤯 it’s a lot…I’m 48 and full blown menopausal and I have a 22yr old and two going to be 8yr olds (boy and girl) and I have a whole lot more going through but u have to just take a breather close your eyes and find quite time for yourself… Anyways, sorry for the rambling just know that you are awesome & I’m proud of you both.. until next time
Loved it all. Thank you!.............Nancy
You two did an amazing job with your family and doing your garden and everything that you had done this year I don't feel that you failed in any way possible, Michelle I have a small business here on our Homestead where I make heavenly dreams goat milk beauty products, soap, lotion, shampoo bars, bath salts, bath bombs, it's such a blessing to raise and grow all the living needs someone has to have. Thank you for sharing. Till next time God Bless.
Thank you so much! Your business sounds amazing!😊
Ash from the Fireplace/pit can probably help the fruit trees. {tucks the gun behind the door} IDK what happened to that hawk lol
I love the random chicken. Also, I would recommend using a wire cutter on the soap. It prevents those streaks and you can get more consistent sizes. You can make one with a guitar string. Great way to simplify the 'gelling' stage circles. I would make sure your lye to oil ratio was correct on the calendula soap. Avocado oil will have to have different amounts than the tallow. I love watching you trying new things. Thank you for sharing the journey.
Thanks for the tip!
What a nice video! Those Butternut Squash are just beautiful! I am making soap for the first time this month too. Can't wait to try it both as soap and shampoo.😊
Awesome! Hope it turns out well for you!
Way to go on trying the soap making! It’s always exciting and a bit scary to be in the unknown but it looks like you’re doing great! I would recommend gloves until your bars are completely cured. Lye is a bit dangerous to bare skin!
Fails are growth in wolves clothes so congrats on all your success and growth. Your family is beautiful and absolutely amazing!
Thank you so much!
We all have things that go good and bad each year in the garden. Most are out of our control. I also do this every year to see what I need to work on or plant next year. I also love ducks. I always say that you can't look at a duck and not smile. 😊 The sneaky chicken mask was funny 😂
You guys do a fantastic job !!! Keep on keeping on !!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Hey Yall! Ive watched almost all of yalls videos except some of the cow ones so ima need yall to make some more asap! Lol j/k. I really enjoy learning from yall and enjoy being part of your journey! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us homesteading wannabes!
You’re welcome! Glad you’ve been enjoying the videos!☺️
Another great video. I think everything you guys did was a win. Thank you for sharing.❤
Thank you!
There is always something for me to learn. thanks for the new video. I'm happy with you about the good harvest and that you took us with you on this review. Have a nice week. Greetings from Bavaria were we have snow today
You’re welcome! Hope you have a nice week as well!😊
Hello dear. Love your channel. You might try cutting the soap a little earlier. I usually wait 24 hours. It’s still soft enough to cut. You just have to be really careful unmolding so you don’t dent your sides or corners.
I make most of my household things. The-Big-Book-of-Homemade-Products by Jan+Berry is my favorite go to book. I have many, but that is the only one I use.
🍎🍏kaolin clay powder is a natural for your fruit trees! Love your channel, aw you need to get a new milk COW for cheese and butter and you can sell the milk!
Martijn Doolaard just set up 'Discord' for his TH-cam subscribers (free for us) to share (photos) and communicate with him and each other, not sure what that involves from your end but worth considering. His channel is an Italian Alps reno, building, solar, chickens, day trips).
I had the same problem cutting my soap when I first started. I sharpened my blade just a little bit and it worked. It smoothed the blade. Might want to try it.
Yes dexter cattle! I would love to see your processes with them.
The Giant chicken was hilarious 🐔🤣 - You guys Rocked It!! 🤩🤩
Glad I wasn’t the only one to see it!! 😂
You guys are really awesome. Love your personalities and common sense instruction. Keep it coming.
Thank you!😊
Soap tip for you! if you slice it when it is still slightly pliable, you will get smooth cuts 👍 And then line the slices up to dry out fully from there and cure. It should work better for you that way! Hope this helps!
Dexters are great for milk and many are A2A2 which is better for many people with milk problems... they were once used for plowing and pulling as well. Triple purpose... We love our girls
I'm amazed that the ducks bothered your garden. We have 6 1/2 acres and ours never bother. They are so fun and social, good a laugh.
I love all your videos all the way from S.A. ❤️
We put Hu bars in our stockings (including mine 😅) as well!!
Guys you are absolutely amazing! I admire you, your hard work and your passion! I adore watching you! ❤Thank you so much for sharing your life and experience with us. I live in a big city, so it is such a pleasure to enjoy country life at least this way 😂 Warm greetings from Poland ❤
Thank you so much!😊
Did I see a chicken costume poke out from behind the chicken coop ???? 😂😂😂
I have a 17 y/o daughter who enjoys seeing ducks waddling around.
Though free range ducks can be really chewy when it is time to eat from my experience. Waiting for you guys to share your experience
I really enjoy your videos, I learn so much.
Garlic: I live in the south and this year it took almost 2 months for my garlic to germinate, ( at first I thought it was a fail)but they are growing well.
Glad to hear that!
Dexters?! We have a herd of dexters and I LOVE them! Our beef is delicious 👍🏻
Lol...who has the funky chicken outfit?!?! I had to do a double-take on that scene! :)
Love your videos. So nicely done.
Thank you!
What works for me is comfrey under the apple trees. Also take a water bottle, drill a hole in the bottle. Put a drop of dish soap, water and borax in the bottle and set it under the apple trees. The hole should be facing up for pests to go in the bottle. The comfrey deters the pests and brings water up to the roots of the apple trees and the water bottle solution is an attractant to keep the critters away from the tree.
Thanks for the tip!
Great Video Guys!!!
I absolutely love your channel
Thanks!😊